JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (11/5): Palestinian press and

UNCLAS JERUSALEM 001996 SIPDIS STATE PASS BBG STATE FOR NEA, NEA/IPA, NEA/PPD WHITE HOUSE FOR PRESS OFFICE, SIT ROOM NSC CMC WASHINGTON DC FOR POLAD JERUSALEM ALSO FOR ICD LONDON FOR HKANONA AND POL - TSOU PARIS ALSO FOR POL ROME FOR MFO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KMDR KPAL KWBG KPAO IS SUBJECT: JERUSALEM MEDIA REACTION (11/5): Palestinian press and officials continue to criticize the US position on settlements -------------- Main Stories: -------------- The three dailies report on Secretary Hillary Clinton's remarks in Cairo yesterday reiterating that the US position on settlements "has not changed" and stressed that the US considers settlement activity "illegal." An Al-Quds headline highlights Clinton as saying that the US is still committed to the two-state solution. Al-Ayyam runs a cynical headline that reads "Clinton believes that the best way to freeze settlements is through the resumption of negotiations!" The headline continues to say that Clinton reaffirmed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's position as "unprecedented." Al-Hayat Al-Jadida also front pages news on Clinton saying that moving towards the establishment of the Palestinian state has to include all pending issues, including Jerusalem. The coverage notes that Clinton received Egypt's support for the resumption of negotiations without preconditions. Al-Quds leads with Palestinian Liberation Organization Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat's remarks yesterday in a press conference in Ramallah that Clinton's recent statements and appreciation of Netanyahu's position will only lead to an increase in settlement activities in the next two years. Erekat also stated that the only option remaining for Palestinians is "one state with Muslims, Christians and Jews living together as equals." Erekat described the current situation as very dangerous and noted that time has come for President Abbas to tell the people the truth, that "with continued settlement activity, the two state solution is no longer an option." Dailies report on the Fatah Central Committee encouraging President Abbas to run for reelection in the next presidential elections. -------------- BLOCK QUOTES: -------------- Al Quds independent daily runs an editorial under the title "Continuous Visits ... Continuous Judaization" (11/5): "We wonder about Secretary Clinton's intentions with her visits to Arab capitals and her contradictory and ambiguous statements ... we all know that the US goal is to resume direct Palestinian-Israeli negotiations. Clinton is looking for any way to achieve this goal despite the Palestinian and Israeli positions, which leads her to make such contradictory and ambiguous statements." RUBINSTEIN